伊甸园结构中的生存意义指向——《一个女士的画像》解读

The Existential Significance of the Eden Structure in Portrait of A Lady

享利·詹姆斯在他的著名小说《一位女士的画像》的前言中把他的作品比作一个结构和谐美丽的建筑物,他把小说家比作"建筑师",称小说家的写作能力是一种"建筑能力",并且认为自己的小说《一个女士的画像》充分体现了这种能力。笔者在对原作研读的基础上提出,《圣经·创世纪》中的伊甸园故事为这部小说提供了叙事框架,同时,作为寓言的伊甸园故事也为这部小说提供了一种形而上的意义所指,赋予小说关于命运,寻求与选择等形而上的寓意。

Henry James compares his novels in his preface to his Portrait of A Lady to a harmoniously constructed building,and considers novelist a constructor,declares that the ability of the novelist is ＂an ability to construct＂ with his novel a great embodiment of this capacity.But what kind of structure this novel entails？ What is the structure behind this harmoniously constructed building？ The author doesn＇t give a definite answer but gives a detailed account of how he prepares for the writing of the novel.After the careful reading of the novel,I asserts that it is the fable of Eden that provides the novel Portrait of A Lady not only with the structure but its metaphysical implication,the theme of destiny,pursuit and choice.